Home Sweet Home?
by Carlow
Summary: Peter & Carla return to Weatherfield.
1. Chapter 1

"How do you fancy going into town for dinner tonight?" Nick suggested. It was a slow night at The Bistro thanks to 'Crazy Mary' and her bloody theme nights at The Café. He was eager to put business out of his mind for a few hours and concentrate on spending some much needed quality time with the love of his life.

"Hmm? Yeah, sure fine. Let's go." Leanne replied, obviously distracted.

"Everything alright?" Nick inquired. She had been acting rather strangely for the past few days and he was determined to figure out why.

"Of course, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"You haven't seemed like yourself lately. " Nick explained, concerned by her sudden change in behaviour. "Are we okay?"

"We're more than okay, don't be silly!" Leanne assured him, leaning forward over the bar to place a gentle kiss on his lips. Nick smiled in relief. He loved Leanne so much and things had been going great between them lately. Simon had really taken to him as well and the three of them were finally starting to get on as a proper little family. Nick had even begun to contemplate taking their relationship to the next level, but he wanted to make sure that he and Leanne were both on the same page before he made his proposal.

"Something is obviously troubling you, Lea. I wish you'd tell me what it is." Nick declared, wanting to get to the bottom of things.

"It's Peter." She finally admitted with a sigh of defeat, unable to meet his gaze.

"What about him?" Nick asked, his defences going up immediately at the mention of her ex's name. It had been months since Barlow had up and left town. He knew it had been wishful thinking, but Nick had hoped he'd never have to hear the man's name again.

"I got notice from me solicitor the other day that our divorce has been finalized." Leanne explained, her attention suddenly focussed on the large glass of wine in front of her.

"Well, that's good news. Isn't it?" Nick pointed out, unnerved by her somber attitude. Surely she didn't still carry a torch for the pathetic drunk?

"Yeah, of course it is. I'm glad it's finally official." Leanne declared, and Nick could tell she were telling the truth. "I just worry about him, that's all. For Simon's sake."

"Does he still ask about him?" Nick wondered. Whenever he spent time with the little lad, he never really talked about Peter anymore.

"Not really, and that worries me." Leanne explained, her love and concern for her son was evident. "Peter was a lousy husband, but he really did try his best to be a good father. I hope Simon never forgets that."

"I'm sure he…" Nick's eyes widened in disbelief as he noticed a familiar face had entered the bar.

"That's real touching, Leanne. But I'm not dead, ya know. Sorry to disappoint ya."

"Peter!" Leanne gasped as she spun around in her seat and came face to face with her ex-husband.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, still in shock.

"I live here. Well, at least I thought I did. Who the hell gave you permission to move into my flat?" Peter asked, his anger evident.

"And where did you expect me to live while I was raising _your _son?" Leanne hissed. Obviously the months they'd spent apart had done nothing to diminish the animosity that still existed between them.

"I thought you would have shacked up with loverboy over there the minute I left!" Peter accused, glaring at Nick with contempt.

"Unlike you, Peter, I care too much about our son's wellbeing to disrupt his life like that. And speaking of shacking up with people, where's Carla? I thought you two would be inseparable after being away together for so long. Don't tell me there's trouble in paradise?"

"My relationship with Carla is none of your business." Peter replied defensively.

"And my relationship with Nick is none of _your _business - especially now that we are officially divorced." Leanne declared resolutely, reaching across the bar to take Nick's hand in a show of solidarity.

"About damn time," Peter muttered under his breath. "I'm just as anxious as you are to put our farce of a marriage behind us. Look, Leanne I didn't come back here to fight with you. I just want to see my son."

"You mean the little boy who you haven't bothered to call or write to in months?" Leanne hissed, not ready to let the issue drop.

"I was in a really bad place when I left, you know that. I needed some time away to get my life in order. I haven't had a drink in months!" Peter declared, obviously proud of his accomplishment.

"Even if I did believe that, it's only a matter of time before you fall off the wagon again."

"Thank you so much for your vote of confidence." He growled, obviously trying to keep his temper under control.

"I know you, Peter. Don't forget that."

"You can think whatever you like, Leanne. I really don't care. Now, I came here to see my son. Where is he?"

"He's sleeping over at a mate's tonight." Leanne explained, still eyeing her ex-husband warily. "You can see him tomorrow – but only if he wants to see you."

"Why wouldn't he want to see me?" Peter asked, obviously hurt by her implication.

"Do you _really _want me to answer that?" Leanne declared, not bothering to mask her opinion of him.

"Obviously you've wasted no time in turning my son against me." Peter accused, glaring at them both in anger.

"You did a pretty good job of that all by yourself, Peter." Nick chimed in, squeezing Leanne's hand in a show of support.

"I'll come by and pick him up at the flat tomorrow morning. Make sure he's ready." Peter declared resolutely, ignoring Nick's comment as he zipped up his leather jacket and prepared to leave.

"I don't take orders from you, Peter. Like I said, if Simon _wants _to see you – he will. End of story."

Peter stormed out of The Bistro without further comment.

"Well, he sure knows how to ruin an evening." Nick sighed, unnerved by Peter Barlow's sudden reappearance in their lives. He had planned on asking Leanne to move in with him tonight.

"He can ruin a lot more than that." Leanne replied, her thoughts now consumed with fear of once again losing her son. Now that Peter was back in their lives, Leanne knew it was only a matter of time before the issue of Simon's custody reared its ugly head. But now more than ever, she was determined to make sure that her son continued to live a normal and happy life – with her and Nick as his primary guardians.

Peter was more than welcome to see his son, but it would be on _her _terms.

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	2. Chapter 2

"What time is our meeting tomorrow with Mr. Peterson?" Michelle asked, her gaze focussed on the paperwork in front of her. Another late night at the factory. She couldn't wait to get home and slip into a nice hot bath with a _very _large glass of red wine to keep her company.

"10:00am sharp in The Bistro." Rob replied, rubbing his eyes to relieve the stress caused by staring at his computer screen for too long. "You're still planning on coming, right?"

"Yeah, of course I am. I know you need me there to help sweeten the deal." She smirked teasingly.

"Well, someone has a mighty high opinion of themselves." Rob chuckled, tearing his eyes away from the computer long enough to notice her smile. "Actually, I think I might be more Mr. Peterson's type than you."

"Are you serious?" Michelle gapped at him incredulously and Rob nodded his head in response. "Wow, my gaydar must be off- I had no idea! Well then, I guess I can stay home…"

"Oh, no, no, no. You aren't leaving me alone with him."

"Oh, Robbie. Come on now, don't be shy." Michelle teased, clearly enjoying herself. "Us women often have to use our feminine charms to close business deals, why should this be any different?"

"I might be his type, but he is _definitely _not mine!"

"Well, he is Underworld's type and that's what matters." Michelle reminded him, growing serious for a moment. "Need I remind you that Mr. Peterson is an extremely wealthy man who is prepared to throw a lot of business our way? We can't afford to lose him."

"Alright, fine." Rob conceded, he couldn't argue with her there. "But if starts to get _too _friendly, I'm outta there!"

"Don't worry, little brother. I'll protect you." A familiar voice interrupted their discussion.

"Carla!" Michelle screamed, jumping up from her chair as she rushed over to wrap her arms around the other woman. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too." Carla replied, hugging her best friend close while glancing across the room at her brother. "Both of you."

"You're looking well." Rob observed, offering her a warm smile as he stood up and crossed the room to greet her with a hug. "When did you get back?"

"Just now," Carla explained rather vaguely. "Thought I ought to come here and check up on things, make sure you two hadn't run my business into the ground."

"Gee, thanks!" Michelle chuffed, obviously insulted.

"Oh, calm down. I were only joking. If I didn't think the pair of you were more than capable of running this factory, I never would'ave left you in charge in the first place." Carla reasoned. "And by the sounds of things, you two seem to be working really well together."

"Well, I've been doing the majority of the work. " Michelle teased, glancing at her business partner in jest. "Robbie here is just the eye candy."

"Don't kid yourself, Michelle. I'm the total package, brains _and _ beauty. This place would have gone bankrupt ages ago if it weren't for my unique expertise."

"I don't know what's bigger, your head or your ego…" Michelle shot back.

"Alright, alright. Take it easy you two. I'm amazed you managed to get any work done if this is the way you carry on." Carla chuckled, thoroughly enjoying their bickering. She really had missed them both, so much. It was good to be home.

"Enough about us, how are you doing? And where on earth have you been, we haven't heard from you in months!" Michelle exclaimed, eager to hear all about what her best friend had been up to while she were away.

"I know, I'm sorry for not keeping in touch. I kept meaning to call, but something always came up."

"It's alright. The important thing is you're back now. For good, I hope?" Michelle asked tentatively.

"We'll see." Carla replied, offering them a weak smile. Rob and Michelle exchanged a knowing glance – something was definitely up.

"Look you guys, I'm exhausted. It's been a long day." Carla sighed, trying to change the subject. "Let's go to The Rovers and have a proper catch up, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me." Rob replied as he quickly shut down his computer and switched off the lights, obviously eager to get out of the office. "You look like you could use a drink."

"Will Peter be joining us?" Michelle asked, and Carla knew what she were really asking.

"Peter hasn't touched a drink in months." She replied, answering her friend's unspoken question.

"Glad to hear it." Michelle smiled, linking arms with Carla as the three of them exited the factory and made their way across the cobbles.

Carla shivered slightly as the cold air pricked at her tanned skin. A part of her longed to be back on the beach in her bikini, virgin margarita in hand with the sun warming her skin and the waves lapping at her feet. But she couldn't deny how good it felt to be back on this cold, wet street she called home.

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Thanks for the reviews! I haven't written anything in months, hope I'm not too rusty! Plan on having at least one more chapter up by the end of the day. Thanks again for the support and encouragement - really means a lot! :)


	3. Chapter 3

"It's good to have you home, son."

"Thanks, dad." Peter smiled, hugging his father back with genuine affection.

"So, tell me – how have you been? You look well."

"A bit too thin though, if you ask me. Has Carla not been feeding you?" Deirdre chimed in from the kitchen. Both father and son rolled their eyes in response.

"I'm fine, Deirdre. Just been taking better care of myself, that's all."

"If she wants to borrow some of my recipes, she's more than welcome." The older woman continued. "Not me stuffed marrow though – that's a family secret."

"I wish it had stayed a secret…" Ken muttered under his breath.

"Oy! I heard that." Deidre barked in response. "Keep that up and you'll be eating out of the same can as Eckles!"

"His food probably tastes better." Ken replied, eyeing the dog's bowl enviously.

"Keep it up, and you'll find out!" Deirdre threatened, slamming the oven door shut before ripping off her apron and heading out the back door for a fag.

"Good to see that not much has changed around here." Peter chuckled, enjoying the banter between his father and step-mum. He had missed them both more than he expected to.

"Nothing ever changes around here, I'm afraid." Ken sighed in resignation. "I'm envious of you – getting to travel the world and broaden your horizons. It looks like you managed to get a bit of sun too."

"More than a bit," Peter nodded in agreement. "And we didn't exactly travel the world – spent most of our time in California actually."

"Doing what?" Ken inquired, his curiosity evident.

"Relaxing, mostly. Just trying to clear our heads and figure stuff out." Peter replied, his voice drifting off slightly as his mind began to wonder and he reflected on the past few months.

"And did you?" his father asked tentatively, trying to coax his son back to the present. "Figure things out, I mean."

"For the most part, yeah." Peter nodded, a self-deprecating grin on his face. "I figured out that I'm a terrible drunk and a sorry excuse for a father."

"Peter…" Ken sighed, not liking the way his son was constantly putting himself down. He had hoped that his time away would help to booster his self-confidence, not tear it down even further.

"I also figured out that I can change," Peter continued, sounding more confident – hopeful even. "I realised that I don't have to define myself by my past mistakes any longer. I can be the man I want to be instead of the pathetic drunk I've always been."

"So you've regained your sobriety then?" Ken asked, pleased to hear that his son was finally on the road to recovery.

"I haven't touched a drop of booze in almost 7 months." Peter declared with pride. "This is it, dad. No more falling off the wagon, no more using alcohol to solve all my problems. I'm a changed man."

"I am so glad to hear that, Peter." Ken smiled, reaching forward to pat his son on the shoulder. "I have every confidence in your ability to maintain your sobriety this time."

"You do?" Peter replied, surprised by his father's willingness to believe in him – despite everything they'd been through together. He'd let the older man down more times than he cared to admit.

"Of course," Ken declared sincerely. "You're a good man, Peter. I've always known that. I've just been waiting for you to smarten up and realise it too."

"Thanks, dad." Peter smiled, blinking away tears – his determination bolstered by his father's unconditional support. "I promise I won't let you down. I won't let any of you down, not again."

"I'm so glad to see you back to your old self." Ken replied, the smile on his face beaming with pride. "Now, tell me more about your time in California. What helped trigger this change in you?"

"Well, it was a number of things really." Peter began to explain, a wistful smile on his face as he recalled days spent lounging on the beach with the most beautiful woman in the world by his side. "And I'd be lying if I said the weather didn't factor into it. You know, it's amazing how simple life's biggest decisions can seem when you're sprawled out underneath a palm tree."

"Sounds like heaven," Ken declared in awe. "I'm surprised you decided to come back at all."

"Life in California was definitely a welcome change of pace, but my family is here. And if my time away has taught me anything at all, it's that family is the most important thing in life and I will do whatever it takes to ensure that I put my family first from now on."

"I'm glad to hear that, son." Ken smiled in agreement. "Speaking of family, have you been to see Simon yet?"

"I tried to, but according to Leanne he's sleeping over at a mate's house tonight."

"On a school night?" Ken asked, obviously surprised. "That's unlike her."

"Apparently, she's only strict with him when it comes to seeing me." Peter muttered, the resentment he felt towards his ex-wife apparent.

"Now, Peter. However you may feel towards Leanne, she has been an amazing mother to Simon and I'm sure she won't try and stop him from seeing you."

"She better not," Peter grunted, the mere mention of his ex-wife's name was enough to put him in a foul mood. "Anyway, I already informed Leanne that I will be picking him up at the flat tomorrow morning to take him to school."

"He's going to be so happy to see you." Ken assured him and Peter hoped he was right. He and his son had a lot of catching up to do. He'd missed the little boy more than he thought was humanly possible. Not a day had gone by when Peter hadn't thought about his son. He couldn't wait to scoop Simon up in his arms and never let go.

Peter had meant what he'd said about putting his family first. Nothing was more important to him now.

He only wished that Carla felt the same way.

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Writing Carter fanfic while nervously watching the US Presidential Election. What a way to spend the evening! Glad you guys are enjoy the fic so far and thank you so much for the awesome feedback. If Obama wins, I promise to post chapter 4 tonight as well. Let's hope America makes the right decision. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, Mrs. Connor – it's so good to have you back!"

"Thanks, Julie." Carla smiled at her employee warmly as she sat in The Rovers surrounded by an array of familiar faces – some friendly, some not so much. "It's good to be back."

"You're looking fabulous as always, Mrs. C." Sean exclaimed with his usual enthusiasm. "So tell me, is it true what they say about the blokes in LA? Are they all ridiculously good looking with flawless tans and perfect abs?"

"I think you've been watching too many _Baywatch_ reruns, Sean." Carla laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself. She hadn't realized just how much she missed everyone until now.

"Who's up for another round?" Rob asked as he got up from his seat and approached the bar.

"Well, that depends on who's buying." Fizz replied jokingly as she raised her nearly empty glass in Rob's direction.

"Alright, this rounds on me. Anything to help celebrate the return of my favourite sister." He declared proudly, earning himself a unanimous '_Awwwwwww_' from the crowd.

"Yeah well, that's not exactly saying much considering that I'm your _only _sister." Carla shot back, smiling at her baby brother affectionately.

"Yeah, yeah. Way to ruin the moment." Rob replied, motioning towards her empty glass. "Sure I can't tempt you into something a bit stronger than orange juice?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll stick with another dose of good ol' vitamin C for now. Ta."

"Living in California hasn't turned you into one of those health freaks, has it?" Michelle asked jokingly, her gaze then travelling to Carla's stomach. "Or is there a little Barlow baking in the oven?"

"Better not be." Rob muttered under his breath as he handed his sister another glass of orange juice.

"Peter isn't the only one who's decided to jump back on the wagon." Carla explained, ignoring her brother's snide remark. It were no secret that Rob wasn't exactly Peter's number one fan. Hopefully that would change once they got to know each other better…

"You've quit drinking?" Michelle asked, her reaction a mixture of suspicion and pride.

"Yep. Haven't touched a drop in months." Carla declared, taking another sip of her juice.

"Ya know, Just because _he's _got a drinking problem doesn't mean you have to go and change your whole lifestyle just to suit him." Rob argued, his contempt towards Barlow apparent.

"It's called being supportive, Rob. You should try it sometime." Carla replied, glaring at the younger man in warning. "Besides, it was my decision - Peter had nothing to do with it. I do have a mind of me own, ya know."

"That's an understatement," Michelle chimed in, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met. Nobody could force you into doing something you didn't want to do."

Carla inwardly winced at her words. If only that were true. If only she was still the strong, independent woman her friends and peers all thought her to be. Somewhere along the way, she had lost that part of herself. It would be easy to blame everything on Frank and what he had done to her. But truth be told, Carla had begun to lose herself the moment she fell in love with Peter Barlow.

And in many ways, her lover's most recent betrayal had left Carla feeling more vulnerable and abused than she had at the hands of Frank Foster.

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Peter lay awake in bed staring up at the ceiling. He was completely and utterly exhausted, but couldn't shut his brain off long enough to get some sleep. This jet lag was going to take some getting used to – although, he supposed he would have many more sleepless nights to look forward to in the not so distant future…

Peter's wayward thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door being flung open, light momentarily flooding the room before Carla hit the switch and gingerly crawled back into bed.

"Are you alright, love?"

"Do I look alright to you?" She replied, turning her back to him as she tried to get comfortable.

"You look gorgeous. Positively glowing." He declared truthfully, reaching out to stroke her hair – his heart breaking when she flinched away from his touch.

"Shut up, Peter." She hissed, wrapping the covers around herself more securely.

"It won't be like this for long, ya know." Peter tried to reassure her. He hated this distance that existed between them now, especially during what were meant to be the happiest time in their lives. "All the books say that it's only meant to last the first few months."

"Oh, really?" Carla replied sarcastically. "And exactly which book would that be? _What To Expect When You Trick Your Girlfriend Into Getting Pregnant_?"

"I really wish you'd stop saying that…" Peter sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Yeah, well. I really wish you'd let me be the one to decide if I actually wanted a kid before you went ahead and turned me into a human incubator without my consent."

"Damn it, Carla!" Peter shouted, hurt by her words. "You're making it sound as if I…"

"As if you what? As if you raped me?" She shouted back accusingly, finally turning around to face him – eyes brimming with unshed tears. "You may as well have…"

"Carla…" He grimaced, voice barely above a whisper as the venom of her words sunk in. "How could you say that to me?"

"How could you _do _this to me?!" She shot back, the pain and betrayal in her voice nearly breaking his heart. Peter realised now that he probably should have went about things differently. He'd been so focussed on getting sober and putting his plan for the future into action, that he hadn't really stopped to consider that his dreams may not be her own. But Peter still maintained that the end result would make it all worthwhile in the end. Carla would come around eventually, he was sure of it.

"I know you're still angry with me, and I'm sorry if I've hurt you – I never want to hurt you." Peter tried to reassure her, his voice taking on a gentle quality as he reached out to lace his fingers through hers – pleased when she didn't pull away. "I love you so much. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes." Carla sighed, her anger finally beginning to subside. "And I love you, but..."

"No 'buts'," Peter interrupted her with a kiss. "Let's just leave it at that for tonight, alright? You need your rest."

"This isn't over, Peter." Carla warned, stifling a yawn as she closed her eyes and snuggled into his embrace.

"I know," He smiled, dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead as he held her close. Peter knew that she was still furious with him for what he had done, but he also knew that their love for one another was enough to get them through anything.

This baby was a blessing – a new beginning for them both. Eventually, Carla would come around and realize that he'd made the right decision.

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4 more years, baby! Sorry I did not post chapter 4 last night as promised. I was too busy watching CNN, lol. On a sidenote: Yes, Carla's pregnant. And no, this won't be your typical 'Carter baby fic' - I promise. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

"What are _you _doing here?"

"It's nice to see you too, Simon." Carla replied, pulling her sweater closed to try and fight off the chill in the air. All the other mums stood outside the school waiting to collect their kids were dressed more appropriately in oversized, out-dated winter coats. In her stiletto heels and designer clothes, Carla stood out like a sore thumb – as usual.

"Your dad had to go to a meeting, so I'm here to bring you home."

"I'd rather walk, ta." Simon replied sullenly, eyes downcast as he blew her off and began walking away down the street.

"Suit yourself." Carla muttered under her breath, annoyed by his behaviour. She didn't need this right now. After a long, grueling day spent bickering with her brother at the factory – all Carla wanted to do was go home, crawl into bed and sleep. Instead, she was stood outside in the freezing cold fighting with an eight year old.

Is this what being a mum was all about? She couldn't wait.

"Simon, hold on." Carla sighed, running her hands through her hair in frustration. She couldn't let the little boy walk all the way home by himself in the freezing cold. Even she wasn't that heartless. "Just get in the car, alright? I promise I'll take you straight home and you can ignore me the entire time. Deal?"

"Me mum always takes me for ice cream after school." Simon replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No she doesn't." Carla argued. Even with her limited parenting experience, she knew that sweets before supper was a 'no, no'. "Besides, it's freezing out. Why would you want to eat ice cream in this weather?"

"Hot chocolate then?" Simon asked hopefully, his chestnut brown eyes lit up with excitement.

"Go on, then." Carla finally gave in, unable to resist those bloody dimples. She watched as the little boy ran over to her car and hopped in the back seat.

Bribery may not be Jo Frost's idea of good parenting, but Jo Frost could kiss her ass.

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"Can you believe those two? Coming in here for a romantic dinner on tonight of all nights?" Leanne complained, glaring at Peter and Carla from across The Bistro.

Today would have been their second wedding anniversary and there he was, celebrating the one year anniversary of his affair with that tramp.

"Did you want me to ask them to leave?" Nick suggested. He wasn't in the habit of turning away patrons, but he didn't want Peter and Carla's presence to ruin their evening – especially not tonight when he planned on _finally _asking Leanne to move in with him.

"No, don't give them the satisfaction." She replied, turning her attention away from the other couple. "So, why did you want to have dinner here tonight?"

"I thought it would be a nice change of pace, that's all." Nick replied, trying his best to sound nonchalant. "We've been staying in a lot lately – well, staying in at your flat to be exact…"

"And what's wrong with that? I thought you liked my cooking?" Leanne said teasingly, reaching out to straighten his tie.

"I do! You know I do." Nick assured her, trying to muster up some courage. "I was just thinking that maybe you and Simon could start spending more time at my place, that's all."

"Sure!" Leanne grinned. "We could always have supper at your's tomorrow night. Maybe watch a film or two…"

"Actually, I were thinking about something a bit more permanent." Nick explained, finally biting the bullet.

"Are you…are you asking me to move in with you?" Leanne gasped, obviously caught off guard by his proposal.

"Leanne, I love you. And I want us to…"

Nick's words caught in his throat when he noticed that everyone in the restaurant had their eyes glued to the couple in the corner – specifically on the man currently down on one knee.

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"Peter, get the hell up." Carla hissed, furious at him for making such a scene. She should have known he were up to something when he'd suggested they go somewhere nice for dinner. And he was wearing a suit! Peter only wore suits when he were going to court…or a funeral.

"Not until you answer my question." He replied stubbornly, reaching for her hand and holding it tight – as if he were afraid she would bolt out the door at any moment. "Carla Connor, will you marry me?"

"I hate you." She whispered, loud enough for only him to hear. She didn't want to do this here, not with half the street gawking at her as if she were on one of those lousy reality shows.

"And I love you," Peter shot back, the sincerity in his voice causing her to soften slightly. "I love you more than I've ever loved any one or any thing and I want to spend the rest of me life proving that to you."

"Peter," she sighed, tears streaming down her face as his words tugged at her heart. "I can't…"

"Yes you can." He pleaded, his own eyes filling with tears. "Sweetheart, just say 'yes'. Say yes, and I promise to love and protect you until the day I die."

Why did he have to say things like that? Perfect, romantic movie type things that made Carla feel as though her knees were about to give out at any moment. She loved Peter more than life. He was her best friend – the only person in the world she could ever truly imagine spending the rest of her life with. But did she really want to walk down the aisle one more time and risk having it all go horribly wrong yet again?

"Alright." She finally replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Is that…is that a yes?" Peter asked tentatively, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, it's a yes! Now, get up before I change me mind." Carla grinned, slapping him on the shoulder as she tried to get her emotions under control. She couldn't stop crying and the damn pregnancy hormones certainly weren't helping matters.

"I love you, Carla." He whispered, slipping the impressive diamond ring onto her finger before getting to his feet and kissing her passionately. Almost everyone in the Bistro applauded the happy couple as they sealed the deal with a kiss. It really was like a scene out of a movie.

Carla only hoped their story would have a happy ending.

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The first part of this chapter was inspired by a recent SPOILER pic of Carla & Simon. PM me if you want the link as I don't think I'm allowed to post it here.


	6. Chapter 6

"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Barlow." Peter smiled as he handed his wife the perfectly wrapped parcel he had been hiding behind his back. It were Christmas morning - not that you could tell by the obvious lack of holiday decorations in their flat. Peter had begged her to let him put up a Christmas tree, but she had managed to talk him out of it. The constant smell of pine would make her nauseous.

"I decided to keep my last name, remember?" She pointed out. Carla Barlow just did _not _roll off the tongue as nicely as Carla Connor did. Besides, all of her business associates and employees knew her as Mrs. Connor – no need to confuse anyone. "And I thought we agreed, no gifts this year?"

"Correction – _you _agreed on no gifts this year. I distinctly remember disagreeing." Peter grinned, motioning for her to hurry up and open the gift. He was so bloody happy and excited this morning, as if he were a little boy again – anxious to see what Father Christmas had brought for him this year.

"Well, I didn't get you anything." Carla replied as she gingerly began to unwrap the parcel, eyeing it suspiciously.

"I don't need anything, I have you." Peter smiled, reaching out to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Charming." She muttered sarcastically - touched by his words, but determined not to show it. Carla hated Christmas, always had and probably always would. Normally, she would have found Peter's childlike enthusiasm endearing – but not today.

"I really hope you like it." He proclaimed hopefully, waiting to see her reaction as she slowly opened the red velvet box.

"It's a necklace." She declared unnecessarily, looking down at the exquisite piece of jewelry in awe. A part of her was tempted to point out that he had gotten her a necklace for Christmas last year as well, but she didn't want him to take it the wrong way.

"Do you like it?" Peter asked, already reaching forward to take the necklace from her so that he could help her put it on.

"It's gorgeous, baby. I love it." Carla replied sincerely as she moved her hair to one side so that he could see what he were doing. She thought back to last Christmas when she and Peter had made love in the factory, clinging to each other passionately – their need and desire for one another simply impossible to resist.

What a difference a year makes.

"It's an Alexandrite," Peter whispered, his warm breath against her ear sending chills down her spine. "The birthstone for June."

"But my birthday's in January." Carla pointed out distractedly, breath catching in her throat as Peter began placing gentle kisses along the sensitive skin of her neck.

"I know," He whispered, continuing his assault on her neck as his hands moved to begin stroking the soft skin of her slightly rounded stomach. "It's not your birthstone, silly. It's the baby's."

"Oh." Carla replied, feeling as though he had just thrown a bucket of ice cold water in her face. Nothing like a reminder of her unwanted pregnancy to kill the mood.

Most days, she was able to put it out of her mind completely. The morning sickness had thankfully subsided weeks ago and other than being constantly exhausted, Carla really didn't _feel _pregnant.

She wasn't showing yet either – one of the main reasons why Carla had insisted that she and Peter get married sooner rather than later. The thought of waddling down the aisle in a white dress was definitely not the way she wanted her wedding day to be. So Peter had agreed with her decision for a quickie wedding down at city hall – Rob and Michelle their only witnesses. It had broken Peter's heart not to have Simon there, but the little boy had claimed to be feeling ill. Not exactly the most original excuse, but Carla tried not to take it personally.

Her brother had spent the entire ceremony glaring at Peter, the scowl on his face summing up how he felt about her decision to get married. Rob still believed that Peter was wrong for her and he'd spent the entire week leading up to the wedding trying to talk her out of it.

If Rob thought she were an idiot for marrying Peter, Carla could only imagine how he'd react when he discovered that she was also having his baby.

For now, she and Peter were the only ones who knew about her pregnancy – and Carla was more than happy to keep it that way. But she knew that her husband was chomping at the bit to make their big announcement. Every time he would broach the subject of telling their family and friends about the baby, Carla would find a way to talk him out of it.

She wasn't ready yet. Truth be told, Carla was beginning to wonder if she would ever really be ready to accept the fact that she was going to be a mum. Most women her age had a baby because they wanted to. And then there were those happy little accidents that occurred from too much wine and not enough condoms.

But this pregnancy didn't fall into either one of those neat little categories. Carla was still trying to accept the fact that this baby's conception had been planned – only not by her. Although she were trying her best to deny it, Carla still hadn't been able to forgive Peter for secretly switching her birth control pills in order to get her pregnant.

When she first discovered what he had done, Carla had never felt more violated and betrayed in her entire life. Sure they had talked about the possibility of _maybe _having a child of their own one day, but that was all it had been – just talk. Carla had no idea that Peter would take it upon himself to force her into motherhood like this.

Given the circumstances, was it really any wonder why she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of telling everyone about her pregnancy? As long as no one else knew about the baby, she wouldn't have to pretend to be happy about it or answer all of those annoying pregnancy questions…

_"When are you due?" _Not soon enough.

_"Boy or girl?" _One or the other, I hope.

_"Any weird cravings?" _ Yeah, I'd kill for a vodka and tonic.

Carla sighed in resignation. As much as she'd like to keep things a secret for as long as humanly possible, she knew that it were only a matter of time before the whole street would find out about baby Barlow's impending arrival. She may as well enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry this chapter is a bit short! Hoping to get chapter 7 posted some time tonight as well. Going to try and keep this story going until Peter & Carla return to the show in a few weeks. At least writing this story will help to pass the time until Carter is back! :)


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